Snowblower discharge spout with air inlet means

ABSTRACT

A snow blower, the frame structure includes a support for the discharge pipe, an adjustable chute positioned on antifriction devices carried by the upper end of such pipe and providing clearance between such pipe and chute for inspirating air into the chute to prevent clogging, and electric power means for swinging such chute which means are controlled by an operator from his station.

United States Patent [191 Stevenson et al.

[ SNOWBLOWER DISCHARGE SPOUT WITH AIR INLET MEANS [75] Inventors: William L. Stevenson, Mequon;

George J. Vertanen, Port Washington, both of Wis.

[73] Assignee: Simplicity Manufacturing Company,

Inc., Port Washington, Wis.

[22 Filed: Feb. 1, 1972 21 App]. N0.: 222,533

[52 US. Cl 37/43 R, 37/53, 302/59 [51 Int. Cl EOlh 5/04 [58] Field of Search 37/43, 53, 19,20,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,583,084 6/1971 Farrell 37/43 E v 3,485,536 12/1969 Donelson, Jr.... 302/60 2,474,840 7/1949 Greer 37/43 B Dec. 25, 1973 2,272,564 2/1942 Kuever, Jr. 302/47 3,075,813 l/1963 Vonl 37/43 R UX 3,303,588 2/1967 Krause 37/43 R 2,642,680 6/1953 Curtis et al 37/43 E 2,508,829 5/1950 Lamy 37/43 D X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 652,425 11/1962 Canada 37/43 R Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerR. E. Suter Attorney-Kenneth C. McKivett et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A snow blower, the frame structure includes a support for the discharge pipe, an adjustable chute positioned on antifriction devices carried by the upper end of such pipe and providing clearance between such pipe and chute for inspirating air into the chute to prevent clogging, and electric power means for swinging such chute which means are controlled by an operator from his station. 7

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SNOWBLOWER DISCHARGE SPOUT WITH AIR INLET MEANS This invention relates to a deflector mechanism for distributing material being discharged from a chute or conduit and more particularly to an adjustable deflector mechanism such as is used with a snow blower to deliver snow into a desired area.

As is the case with numerous types of machines, the operation of a snow blower makes many demands upon the operator. He must control the forward motion of the snow blower and also keep snow being handled by the machine directed to the proper area on turns as well as on the straightaway. Moreover, the direction discharged snow is being propelled may have to be changed from time to time as the prevailing wind changes.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved, adjustable deflector mechanism which will take care of the aforementioned requirements in a practical and fully satisfactory manner.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a single control for positioning and locking the deflector unit in various selected positions of horizontal and vertical adjustment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a control member for a deflector unit wherein said control member is positioned adjacent to the portion of the snow blower normally gripped by the operator.

A further object of this invention is to provide power means for quickly moving the deflector unit in a snow blower and which power means is actuated by a control member positioned adjacent to the portion of the snow blower normally gripped by the operator.

A still further object of this invention is to provide electric power means for quickly moving the deflector unit in a snow blower.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved deflector of the above mentioned character whichwill be operable to guide a stream of pneumatically conveyed, comminuted snow material from one direction into another with a minimum loss of velocity.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved deflector of the mentioned character which will be simple and compact in construction, efficient in operation and which may be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a snow blower attached to a tractor;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view taken on line ll-II of FIG. 1 with a portion thereof shown schematically;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section view taken on line III- III of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing an alternate type of construction.

Referring to FIG. 1 a snow blower 5 is shown which is attached to the front end of a tractor 6 by means of conventional structural elements forming no part of this invention. Tractor 6 is provided with an engine 7 having a power take-off pulley 8 which drives pulley 9 attached to a power train 10 drivingly terminating in a bevel gear 11 meshed with bevel gear 12 rotatably carried by frame 13 of snow blower 5. Bevel gear 12 is attached to shaft 14 which also has a sprocket 16 attached thereto. Sprocket 16 is drivingly connected to sprocket 17 by means of chain 18.

A snow contacting rotor 19 is rotatably mounted on frame 13 and includes a central shaft 21 on which sprocket 17 is attached. Snow blower rotor 19 is provided with a central fan portion (not shown) for impelling snow vertically through pipe 22 and through chute assembly 23 which is mounted on the discharge end of the pipe 22 for movement about the longitudinal axis thereof. Pipe 22 is attached to frame 13.

Chute assembly 23 is made up of three parts; a lower ring member 23a, a midchute member 23b attached as by welding to lower ring member 23a and an upper deflector member 230 adjustably connected to the upper portion of chute member 23b.

Three brackets 24 are attached to pipe 22 adjacent the upper end thereof. Ring member 23a is provided with a flared out lower end 26 which is received in equally spaced pulleys 27 (FIGS. 2 and 3) positioned in pinned surrounding relation to ball bearing structure 28 rotatably carried by bolt 29 which is connected to bracket 24.

FIG. 4 shows a view similar to FIG. 3, but wherein equally spaced bushing structures 31 (only one of which is shown) are provided for a ring member 23a in place of the bearing structures 28 of FIG. 3. In either of the structures shown chute structure 23 is freely rotatable relative to pipe 22. It should be noted that the diameter of hood 23 is slightly larger than the diameter of pipe 22. In fact, the internal diameter of hood 23 is substantially the same size as the external diameter of pipe 22. This difference in size between pipe 22 and hood 23 is condusive to efficient handling of the snow with plugging eliminated.

This slight difference in size between pipe 22 and chute section 23a and the fact that chute section 23a is vertically spaced a very small amount from the upper edge of pipe 22 provides a peripheral opening through which air is inspirated by an ascending column of air and snow moving through pipe 22 so that such air inspiration keeps the area from clogging.

Referring to FIG. 1, a reversible electric motor 32 is attached to frame 13 adjacent the upper end of pipe 22. Motor 32 drives cylinder 33 (see FIG. 2) which is journaled on transversely spaced portions of frame 13. A flexible metal line 34 is attached to cylinder 33 at 36 and is attached to hood 23 at 37. Line 34 encircles cylinder 33 in the form of a helix and as cylinder 33 is revolved about its longitudinal axis by motor 32, one portion of line 34 is wound up on cylinder 33 while the line 34 on the other end of cylinder 33 is unwound resulting in a rotation of hood 23 about is longitudinal axis. When the direction of rotation of motor 32 is reversed, this, of course, results in an opposite rotation of hood 23.

Toggle switch 38 is mounted on the instrument panel 39 (see FIG. 1) of tractor 6 adjacent to the steering wheel 40 for easy access to the operators station 45. Such switch is a three position switch which when moved forwardly activates motor 32 to rotate hood 23 in a clockwise direction. When switch is moved rearwardly, motor 32 rotates hood 23 in a counterclockwise direction. Switch 38 is biased by spring 43 to the neutral position shown in FIG. 2. Switch 38 is connected to battery 44 of the tractor and contacts 41 and 42 are connected to opposite fields in the motor 32 to provide opposite rotation thereof.

It is therefore apparent that this invention provides a readily movable chute which can be moved by a small inexpensive electric motor and which motor can be controlled from an operators station 45 by a flick of a switch to move the chute to the right or to the left and to stop it immediately when a desired position for same is obtained.

It should be apparent that this invention is equally applicable to the type of snow blower wherein the operator walks behind. Toggle switch 38 in that case would be positioned adjacent the area usually gripped by the operator.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. Incombination in a snow blower having an operators station, a frame, a snow contacting mechanism for delivering such snow to a vertically extending pipe mounted on said frame, a chute structure, antifriction means supporting said chute structure on the upper end of said pipe, drive means carried on said frame for swinging said chute structure about a vertical axis pass ing through the middle of said pipe, control means for actuating said drive means, said control means being positioned on said frame adjacent said operators station, and said chute structure including a flared out lower ring portion supported in said antifriction means in vertical spaced relation to and above the upper end of said pipe and wherein the minimum diameter of said flared out lower ring portion is slightly greater than the outer diameter of said pipe and the maximum outer di ameter of said flared out lower ring portion is greater than said pipe outer diameter for providing an unobstructed peripheral opening between said flared out lower ring portion and the upper end of said pipe for air to enter said chute and prevent clogging of said chute structure.

2. In the combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said control means comprises a toggle switch which is normally biased to a neutral position and can be moved in one direction to cause the drive to rotate said chute structure clockwise and can be moved in the opposite direction to cause the drive to rotate said chute structure anticlockwise.

3. In the combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said antifriction means comprises ball bearings equally spaced about the upper periphery of said chute structure.

4. In the combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said antifriction means comprises bushings equally spaced about the upper periphery of said chute structure. 

1. In combination in a snow blower having an operator''s station, a frame, a snow contacting mechanism for delivering such snow to a vertically extending pipe mounted on said frame, a chute structure, antifriction means supporting said chute structure on the upper end of said pipe, drive means carried on said frame for swinging said chute structure about a vertical axis passing through the middle of said pipe, control means for actuating said drive means, said control means being positioned on said frame adjacent said operator''s station, and said chute structure including a flared out lower ring portion supported in said antifriction means in vertical spaced relation to and above the upper end of said pipe and wherein the minimum diameter of said flared out lower ring portion is slightly greater than the outer diameter of said pipe and the maximum outer diameter of said flared out lower ring portion is greater than said pipe outer diameter for providing an unobstructed peripheral opening between said flared out lower ring portion and the upper end of said pipe for air to enter said chute and prevent clogging of said chute structure.
 2. In the combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said control means comprises a toggle switch which is normally biased to a neutral position and can be moved in one direction to cause the drive to rotate said chute structure clockwise and can be moved in the opposite direction to cause the drive to rotate said chute structure anticlockwise.
 3. In the combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said antifriction means comprises ball bearings equally spaced about the upper periphery of said chute structure.
 4. In the combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said antifriction means comprises bushings equally spaced about the upper periphery of said chute structure. 